{"captions":[{"duration":4000,"content":"Thank you so much, Chris. And it's truly a great honor","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":3000},{"duration":4000,"content":"to have the opportunity to come to this stage twice. I'm extremely grateful.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":7000},{"duration":7000,"content":"I have been blown away by this conference, and I want to thank all of you for the many","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":11000},{"duration":5000,"content":"nice comments about what I had to say the other night.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":18000},{"duration":12000,"content":"And I say that sincerely, partly because -- (Mock sob) -- I need that! (Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":23000},{"duration":8000,"content":"Put yourselves in my position!","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":35000},{"duration":5000,"content":"I flew on Air Force Two for eight years.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":43000},{"duration":3000,"content":"Now I have to take off my shoes or boots to get on an airplane!","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":48000},{"duration":9000,"content":"(Laughter) (Applause)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":51000},{"duration":7000,"content":"I'll tell you one quick story to illustrate what that's been like for me.","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":60000},{"duration":3000,"content":"It's a true story -- every bit of this is true.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":67000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Soon after Tipper and I left the -- (Mock sob) -- White House -- (Laughter) --","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":70000},{"duration":5000,"content":"we were driving from our home in Nashville to a little farm we have","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":76000},{"duration":3000,"content":"50 miles east of Nashville --","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":81000},{"duration":4000,"content":"driving ourselves.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":84000},{"duration":8000,"content":"I know it sounds like a little thing to you, but -- (Laughter) --","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":88000},{"duration":9000,"content":"I looked in the rearview mirror and all of a sudden it just hit me.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":96000},{"duration":4000,"content":"There was no motorcade back there.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":105000},{"duration":7000,"content":"You've heard of phantom limb pain? (Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":109000},{"duration":8000,"content":"This was a rented Ford Taurus. It was dinnertime,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":116000},{"duration":3000,"content":"and we started looking for a place to eat.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":125000},{"duration":5000,"content":"We were on I-40. We got to Exit 238, Lebanon, Tennessee.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":128000},{"duration":3000,"content":"We got off the exit, started looking for a -- we found a Shoney's restaurant.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":133000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Low-cost family restaurant chain, for those of you who don't know it.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":136000},{"duration":4000,"content":"We went in and sat down at the booth, and the waitress came over,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":142000},{"duration":5000,"content":"made a big commotion over Tipper. (Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":146000},{"duration":3000,"content":"She took our order, and then went to the couple in the booth next to us,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":151000},{"duration":5000,"content":"and she lowered her voice so much I had to really strain to hear what she was saying.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":154000},{"duration":5000,"content":"She said \"Yes, that's former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper.\"","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":159000},{"duration":13000,"content":"And the man said, \"He's come down a long way, hasn't he?\" (Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":164000},{"duration":4000,"content":"There's been kind of a series of epiphanies.","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":177000},{"duration":4000,"content":"The very next day, continuing a totally true story,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":181000},{"duration":6000,"content":"I got on a G-5 to fly to Africa to make a speech in Nigeria,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":185000},{"duration":3000,"content":"in the city of Lagos, on the topic of energy.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":191000},{"duration":5000,"content":"I began the speech by telling them the story of what had just happened","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":194000},{"duration":2000,"content":"the day before in Nashville.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":199000},{"duration":4000,"content":"I told it pretty much the same way I've just shared it with you:","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":201000},{"duration":3000,"content":"Tipper and I were driving ourselves, Shoney's, low-cost family restaurant chain,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":205000},{"duration":3000,"content":"what the man said -- they laughed.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":208000},{"duration":3000,"content":"I gave my speech, then went back out to the airport to fly back home.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":211000},{"duration":4000,"content":"I fell asleep on the plane, until during the middle of the night,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":214000},{"duration":3000,"content":"we landed on the Azores Islands for refueling.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":218000},{"duration":3000,"content":"I woke up, they opened the door, I went out to get some fresh air,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":221000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and I looked and there was a man running across the runway.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":224000},{"duration":3000,"content":"And he was waving a piece of paper, and he was yelling,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":228000},{"duration":5000,"content":"\"Call Washington! Call Washington!\"","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":231000},{"duration":2000,"content":"And I thought to myself, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the Atlantic,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":236000},{"duration":2000,"content":"what in the world could be wrong in Washington?","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":238000},{"duration":2000,"content":"Then I remembered it could be a bunch of things.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":240000},{"duration":8000,"content":"(Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":242000},{"duration":6000,"content":"But what it turned out to be was that my staff was extremely upset because","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":250000},{"duration":7000,"content":"one of the wire services in Nigeria had already written a story about my speech.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":256000},{"duration":4000,"content":"And it had already been printed in cities all across the United States of America","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":263000},{"duration":6000,"content":"-- it was printed in Monterey, I checked. And the story began,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":267000},{"duration":3000,"content":"\"Former Vice President Al Gore announced in Nigeria yesterday,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":273000},{"duration":8000,"content":"'My wife Tipper and I have opened a low-cost family restaurant, named Shoney's,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":276000},{"duration":5000,"content":"and we are running it ourselves.'\" (Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":284000},{"duration":2000,"content":"Before I could get back to U.S. soil,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":289000},{"duration":5000,"content":"David Letterman and Jay Leno had already started in on","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":291000},{"duration":3000,"content":"-- one of them had me in a big white chef's hat,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":296000},{"duration":3000,"content":"Tipper was saying, \"One more burger, with fries!\"","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":299000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Three days later, I got a nice, long, handwritten letter from my friend and partner","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":302000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and colleague Bill Clinton saying, \"Congratulations on the new restaurant, Al!\"","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":308000},{"duration":7000,"content":"(Laughter)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":312000},{"duration":9000,"content":"We like to celebrate each other's successes in life.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":319000},{"duration":3000,"content":"I was going to talk about information ecology.","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":328000},{"duration":6000,"content":"But I was thinking that since I plan to make a lifelong habit of coming back to TED,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":331000},{"duration":4000,"content":"that maybe I could talk about that another time. (Applause)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":337000},{"duration":1000,"content":"Chris Anderson: It's a deal!","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":341000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Al Gore: I want to focus on what many of you have said you would like me to elaborate on.","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":345000},{"duration":8000,"content":"What can you do about the climate crisis? I want to start with --","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":351000},{"duration":9000,"content":"I'm going to show some new images, and I'm going to recapitulate just four or five.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":359000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Now, the slide show. I update the slide show every time I give it.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":368000},{"duration":5000,"content":"I add new images because I learn more about it every time I give it.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":373000},{"duration":3000,"content":"It's like beachcombing, you know? Every time the tide comes in and out,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":378000},{"duration":2000,"content":"you find some more shells.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":381000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Just in the last two days, we got the new temperature records in January.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":383000},{"duration":5000,"content":"This is just for the United States of America. Historical average for","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":389000},{"duration":5000,"content":"January is 31 degrees. Last month was 39.5 degrees.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":394000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Now, I know that you wanted some more bad news about the environment","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":399000},{"duration":4000,"content":"-- I'm kidding -- but these are the recapitulation slides,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":404000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and then I'm going to go into new material about what you can do.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":408000},{"duration":2000,"content":"But I wanted to elaborate on a couple of these.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":412000},{"duration":5000,"content":"First of all, this is where we're projected to go with the U.S. contribution to global warming,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":414000},{"duration":8000,"content":"under business as usual. Efficiency in end-use electricity and end-use of all energy","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":419000},{"duration":3000,"content":"is the low-hanging fruit. Efficiency and conservation:","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":427000},{"duration":6000,"content":"it's not a cost; it's a profit. The sign is wrong.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":430000},{"duration":5000,"content":"It's not negative; it's positive. These are investments that pay for themselves.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":436000},{"duration":4000,"content":"But they are also very effective in deflecting our path.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":441000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Cars and trucks -- I talked about that in the slideshow,","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":445000},{"duration":4000,"content":"but I want you to put it in perspective.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":449000},{"duration":6000,"content":"It's an easy, visible target of concern, and it should be,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":453000},{"duration":4000,"content":"but there is more global warming pollution that comes from buildings","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":459000},{"duration":3000,"content":"than from cars and trucks.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":463000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Cars and trucks are very significant, and we have the lowest standards in the world,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":466000},{"duration":3000,"content":"and so we should address that. But it's part of the puzzle.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":471000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Other transportation efficiency is as important as cars and trucks!","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":474000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Renewables at the current levels of technological efficiency","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":480000},{"duration":6000,"content":"can make this much difference, and with what Vinod, and John Doerr, and others,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":484000},{"duration":4000,"content":"many of you here -- a lot of people directly involved in this","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":490000},{"duration":5000,"content":"-- this wedge is going to grow much more rapidly than the current projection shows it.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":494000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Carbon Capture and Sequestration -- that's what CCS stands for","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":499000},{"duration":5000,"content":"-- is likely to become the killer app","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":504000},{"duration":10000,"content":"that will enable us to continue to use fossil fuels in a way that is safe.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":509000},{"duration":2000,"content":"Not quite there yet.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":519000},{"duration":8000,"content":"OK. Now, what can you do? Reduce emissions in your home.","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":521000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Most of these expenditures are also profitable.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":529000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Insulation, better design, buy green electricity where you can.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":534000},{"duration":6000,"content":"I mentioned automobiles -- buy a hybrid. Use light rail.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":539000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Figure out some of the other options that are much better. It's important.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":545000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Be a green consumer. You have choices with everything you buy,","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":550000},{"duration":4000,"content":"between things that have a harsh effect or a much less","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":555000},{"duration":6000,"content":"harsh effect on the global climate crisis.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":559000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Consider this. Make a decision to live a carbon-neutral life.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":565000},{"duration":2000,"content":"Those of you who are good at branding,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":571000},{"duration":2000,"content":"I'd love to get your advice and help on","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":573000},{"duration":7000,"content":"how to say this in a way that connects with the most people.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":575000},{"duration":5000,"content":"It is easier than you think. It really is.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":582000},{"duration":6000,"content":"A lot of us in here have made that decision and it is really pretty easy.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":587000},{"duration":8000,"content":"It means: reduce your carbon dioxide emissions with the full range of choices that you make,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":593000},{"duration":6000,"content":"and then purchase or acquire offsets for the remainder that you have not","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":601000},{"duration":9000,"content":"completely reduced. And what it means is elaborated at climatecrisis.net.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":607000},{"duration":7000,"content":"There is a carbon calculator. Participant Productions convened,","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":616000},{"duration":5000,"content":"with my active involvement, the leading software writers in the world","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":623000},{"duration":4000,"content":"on this arcane science of carbon calculation to construct a","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":628000},{"duration":5000,"content":"consumer-friendly carbon calculator.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":632000},{"duration":6000,"content":"You can very precisely calculate what your CO2 emissions are,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":637000},{"duration":3000,"content":"and then you will be given options to reduce.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":643000},{"duration":5000,"content":"And by the time the movie comes out in May, this will be updated to 2.0","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":646000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and we will have click-through purchases of offsets.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":651000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Next, consider making your business carbon-neutral. Again, some of us have done that,","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":655000},{"duration":7000,"content":"and it's not as hard as you think. Integrate climate solutions into all of your innovations,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":660000},{"duration":3000,"content":"whether you are from the technology, or entertainment,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":667000},{"duration":3000,"content":"or design and architecture community.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":670000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Invest sustainably. Majora mentioned this.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":673000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Listen, if you have invested money with managers who you","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":677000},{"duration":4000,"content":"compensate on the basis of their annual performance,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":683000},{"duration":6000,"content":"don't ever again complain about quarterly report CEO management.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":687000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Over time, people do what you pay them to do. And if they judge how much","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":693000},{"duration":6000,"content":"they're going to get paid on your capital that they've invested,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":699000},{"duration":6000,"content":"based on the short-term returns, you're going to get short-term decisions.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":705000},{"duration":2000,"content":"A lot more to be said about that.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":711000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Become a catalyst of change. Teach others; learn about it; talk about it.","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":713000},{"duration":3000,"content":"The movie comes out -- the movie is a movie version of the slideshow","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":719000},{"duration":8000,"content":"I gave two nights ago, except it's a lot more entertaining. And it comes out in May.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":722000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Many of you here have the opportunity to ensure that a lot of people see it.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":730000},{"duration":6000,"content":"Consider sending somebody to Nashville. Pick well.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":735000},{"duration":6000,"content":"And I am personally going to train people to give this slideshow, re-purposed,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":741000},{"duration":5000,"content":"with some of the personal stories obviously replaced with a generic approach,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":747000},{"duration":5000,"content":"and -- it's not just the slides, it's what they mean. And it's how they link together.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":752000},{"duration":4000,"content":"And so I'm going to be conducting a course this summer","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":757000},{"duration":6000,"content":"for a group of people that are nominated by different folks to come and then give it,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":761000},{"duration":3000,"content":"en masse, in communities all across the country,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":767000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and we're going to update the slideshow for all of them every single week","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":770000},{"duration":3000,"content":"to keep it right on the cutting edge.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":774000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Working with Larry Lessig, it will be, somewhere in that process,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":777000},{"duration":5000,"content":"posted with tools and limited-use copyrights,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":781000},{"duration":6000,"content":"so that young people can remix it and do it in their own way.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":786000},{"duration":3000,"content":"(Applause)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":792000},{"duration":3000,"content":"Where did anybody get the idea that you ought to stay arm's length from politics?","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":795000},{"duration":5000,"content":"It doesn't mean that if you are a Republican that I'm trying to convince you to be a","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":798000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Democrat. We need Republicans as well. This used to be a bipartisan issue,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":803000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and I know that in this group it really is. Become politically active.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":807000},{"duration":3000,"content":"Make our democracy work the way it's supposed to work.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":811000},{"duration":7000,"content":"Support the idea of capping carbon dioxide emissions, global warming pollution,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":814000},{"duration":6000,"content":"and trading it. Here's why: as long as the United States is out of the world system,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":821000},{"duration":2000,"content":"it's not a closed system.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":827000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Once it becomes a closed system, with U.S. participation,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":829000},{"duration":2000,"content":"then everybody who's on a board of directors","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":833000},{"duration":5000,"content":"-- how many people here serve on the board of directors of a corporation?","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":835000},{"duration":7000,"content":"Once it's a closed system, you will have legal liability if you do not urge your CEO","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":840000},{"duration":5000,"content":"to get the maximum income from reducing and trading the carbon emissions","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":847000},{"duration":10000,"content":"that can be avoided. The market will work to solve this problem if we can accomplish this.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":852000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Help with the mass persuasion campaign that will start this spring.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":862000},{"duration":3000,"content":"We have to change the minds of the American people. Because presently the","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":866000},{"duration":4000,"content":"politicians do not have permission to do what needs to be done.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":869000},{"duration":6000,"content":"And in our modern country, the role of logic and reason no longer includes","startOfParagraph":true,"startTime":873000},{"duration":3000,"content":"mediating between wealth and power the way it once did.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":879000},{"duration":5000,"content":"It's now repetition of short, hot-button, 30-second, 28-second television ads.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":882000},{"duration":3000,"content":"We have to buy a lot of those ads.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":887000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Let's rebrand global warming, as many of you have suggested.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":890000},{"duration":2000,"content":"I like \"climate crisis\" instead of \"climate collapse,\"","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":895000},{"duration":4000,"content":"but again, those of you who are good at branding, I need your help on this.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":897000},{"duration":4000,"content":"Somebody said the test we're facing now, a scientist told me,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":901000},{"duration":4000,"content":"is whether the combination of an opposable thumb","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":905000},{"duration":4000,"content":"and a neocortex is a viable combination.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":909000},{"duration":11000,"content":"That's really true. I said the other night, and I'll repeat now: this is not a political issue.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":913000},{"duration":5000,"content":"Again, the Republicans here, this shouldn't be partisan.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":924000},{"duration":4000,"content":"You have more influence than some of us who are Democrats do.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":929000},{"duration":7000,"content":"This is an opportunity. Not just this, but connected to the ideas that are here,","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":933000},{"duration":2000,"content":"to bring more coherence to them.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":940000},{"duration":2000,"content":"We are one.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":942000},{"duration":3000,"content":"Thank you very much, I appreciate it.","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":944000},{"duration":7000,"content":"(Applause)","startOfParagraph":false,"startTime":947000}]}